"It's a dream come true," said Whittaker, 45, who has worked as a gripman and conductor on San Francisco's iconic cable car system for the past decade. As a boy, he lived at the North Beach housing projects in Fisherman's Wharf, and used to listen to the cable car bells at the terminus of the Powell-Mason line outside his window.

"I heard them - they were right there - but when I was a kid, I never rode the cable cars. Now I'm operating them," he said with a prideful smile.

Whittaker has competed in the annual contest three times before but never landed a trophy. Besting Oats, whom he considers a mentor in the elite world of cable car bell ringing, was a surprise. "I couldn't believe it. He's taught me so much."

Oats offered nothing but congratulations - and hugs - but said he'll be back next year for the 50th annual contest, trying to reclaim the title that he last held in 2009.

Last year's event was canceled after cable car operators boycotted the event. They never publicly stated their reason, but they were locked in ongoing disputes with management. But with the labor strife apparently tamed, management and workers alike celebrated together at the only-in-San Francisco contest held under brilliant blue skies in a sun-baked Union Square.

The judges, a mix of celebrities, public officials and business leaders, looked for originality, style and rhythm. Whittaker scored well on all three counts in the seven-man contest.

When he worked the clangor on the bronze bell with a short rope, he used his whole body - shoulders, arms, hips and legs.

But it was his deft wrist work that kept the bell clanging in mixed tempos, from quick tat-tat-tat-tat-tats to harder clangs with longer resonance.

He moved the rope from hand to hand, a showy move that drew shouts of encouragement from the crowd, which was a mix of tourists and locals. His eyes for the most part stayed affixed to the bell above his head.

The competition was held aboard cable car No. 62, a motorized coach that was retired from the rails.

He and Oats only expected to perform once, but when it was announced that they were tied for first place, they got right back up on the cable car - first Whittaker, then Oats - to try to sway the judges. At the end of their routines, each man flicked the ropes with confidence.

Whittaker said his first routine differed from his second, relying more on technique than a specific melody. "You just go for what you know, what feels right," he said. His win also comes with a $1,250 cash prize.

After the judges' scores were tallied, it first was announced that Ken Lunardi, another three-time champ, took third place. Then Oats' name was called for second. That left Whittaker, who began getting handshakes, hugs and high-fives even before his name was called. After he got his trophy from his boss, Ed Reiskin, head of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, he began shaking hands with new fans and posing for pictures.